"It hasn't been an easy road," McMorris told CTV News. "I'm feeling really honoured to be on the podium again."

McMorris suffered his injuries after crashing into a tree while snowboarding in the backcountry in Whistler.

It took the 24-year-old 11 months to bounce back.

McMorris' journey from a Vancouver hospital bed to the Pyeongchang podium is one of the most inspirational stories to emerge so far in the 2018 Games.

McMorris said returning to the sport he loves was daunting – as it would be for anyone who so recently stared death in the face.

"As you physically heal, you mentally heal but stuff's a little scarier than it used to be for me," McMorris told CTV.

McMorris credits the love and support he's received from his fellow Canadians for helping him back to the podium.

"Canada definitely had my back 100 per cent, and I felt that," he said. "It was definitely motivating and it gave me a little extra boost and energy to do my very best, and it feels really good when you end up doing well."

After a few days of rest and celebration, McMorris will be back practising for his next event, the men's Big Air competition that’s scheduled to begin on Feb. 21.